Gluten-Free Pita Bread
This gluten-free pita bread is tender, fluffy, and pillowy - all without the use of gluten! With just 5 ingredients (not including water, salt, and oil) and a simple process - you can make delicious, cost-effective flatbread at home that will have you ditching store-bought versions for good!
Servings 5
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp (200 ml) warm water
- 10 g fresh yeast (see notes)
- 1 1/2 tsp organic cane sugar
- 1 cup (160 g) white rice flour (see notes for a version with regular flour)
- 2/3 cup (80 g) tapioca flour
- 2 tsp psyllium husk powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp oil
Instructions
Make the yeast mixture
- I recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe and measuring the ingredients in grams instead of cups. Also, watch the video in the post for easy visual instructions.Heat the water in a saucepan over medium heat for a few seconds until it's lukewarm (not hot!) about 40°C (104°F). Add yeast + sugar and stir with a spoon. Set aside for about 5 minutes to proof the yeast. If it starts to get a little frothy, then the yeast is still active and usable.
Make the dough
- Combine rice flour, tapioca flour, psyllium husk powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk. Add the yeast mixture and oil, then stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
Knead it and let it rise
- Knead the dough with your hands for a few minutes, form a dough ball, and place it back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside preferably in a warm place (40-50°C / 120°F would be perfect*) for about 45-60 minutes. The dough should rise nicely after that time.*Note: You can heat your oven for some minutes until it's warm, then turn it off and put the bowl with the dough inside the oven.
Shape the pitas
- Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces (about 90 grams each) and shape them into balls. Cover them again and leave them to rest for about 10-15 minutes.
- Roll out one piece into a circle about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) thick by using a floured rolling pin. Repeat this step with the other dough balls.
Cook the pitas
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes. I chose 390°F / 200°C on my induction cooker. Place a pita in the skillet and cook for about a minute. After a while, you will see that bubbles start to form on the surface. Flip the pita over and cook it for a few more minutes on the other side. After flipping it one more time it should puff up and form a large pocket.Note: How much the pita bread puffs up (if it does at all) can depend on how thick your dough is rolled out. If you test one pita and it doesn’t puff up, roll the next one thinner and try again. This can take a little bit of practice.
- Repeat this step with the other pitas and keep the cooked ones covered with a kitchen towel. Serve with falafel and a tahini dressing.
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- Yeast: I recommend fresh yeast, but you could also use 1 tsp dry yeast.
- Tapioca flour: You can most likely also use arrowroot flour instead.
- Psyllium husk powder: This ingredient is important and shouldn't be substituted.
- For a yeast-free flatbread, check out my Gluten-Free Naan Recipe.
- I tried making the pita bread in the oven but the pitas didn't puff up. It might work if you have a pizza stone in the oven and use the hottest setting.
- Check the step-by-step photos in the blog post.
- The total time doesn't include resting time.
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) warm water
- 10 g fresh yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp organic cane sugar
- 2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp oil
Nutrition Facts
Gluten-Free Pita Bread
Serving Size
1 flatbread
Amount per Serving
Calories
197
% Daily Value*
Fat
2
g
3
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
5
%
Carbohydrates
42
g
14
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
1
g
1
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.